PROFOUND REGRET

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 128, 1 June 1937, Page 9

PROFOUND REGRET

BRITISH CIRCLES

INCIDENT AT UNFORTUNATE

TIME

NEED FOR RESTRAINT

(British Official Wireless.) (Received June 1, 11.40 a.m.)

RUGBY, May 31

The bombing of the Deutschland was the subject of a private notice question in the House of Commons, to which the Foreign Secretary' (Mr. Anthony Eden),'replied:—"l understand that the German armoured ship Deutschland was bombed from the air whilst at anchor in Ibiza Bay on Saturday, and that bombs exploded on the mess deck, causing much damage and a large number of casualties. I have also received information from one of his Majesty's ships that the German armoured ship Admiral Scheer bombarded Almeria from 6.30 to 7 a.m* today. In the course of an interview which I had with ( the German Charge d'Affaires this morning I asked,him to represent to his Government the earnest hope of his Majesty's Government that the German Government would take no action such as would render the present grave situation graver still." RETALIATION DEPLORED. The news of the bombing by Spanish Government aeroplanes of the Deutschland has caused profound regret in British official circles. The loss of life among th,e German crew would in itself have aroused keen sympathy here, and this was.expressed to the German Minister by the Foreign Secretary this morning, but the regret is deepened by the feeling that,the incident has come at a most unfortunate time for Europe in general, when a certain optimism was permissible as a result of the relief of tension noticeable in recent weeks. This feeling of dismay has not been lessened by the policy of retaliation which was immediately adopted by the German Government, and which is deplored here, iln the course of the Spanish civil war Britain has suffered a great deal of provocation from both sides, arid while occasion has ben taken when necessary to make clear that any persistence in deliberate attacks would be resisted, each of the long series of'incidents leading up to and including the dropping of bombs by Government aeroplanes only a'few days ago in the neighbourhood of British and Italian warships has been followed up by diplomatic action, and in no instance has there been recourse to reprisals. '

DEMANDS OF GENERAL INTEREST. ' The resentment, existing in Germany by Saturday's regrettable incident is well understood in London,' but there is the strongest conviction that what the general interest demands above all at this juncture is a maximum of restraint on the part of every country. .

During today Mr. Eden had a conversation with Dr. Woermanni of the Ger,man Embassy, and with the French and Italian Ambassdors, and arrangements were made for him to see the German Ambassador, who has been slightly indisposed, later in the day. This morning it was announced that today's meeting of the Chairman's Subcommittee of the Non-intervention Committee had been cancelled,, and that at the request of the German representative a plenary session of the 'International Committee had been summoned, but this arrangement was subsequently modified, and instead the German representative sent a letter to the chairman of the committee' containing a statement on the bombing of the Deutschland on behalf of the German Government. In these circumstances the sub-committea met as planned to consider the further question of the security of the warships of the Powers participating in the observation scheme. " ■ '